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There were conflicting reports throughout last week’s candidate forum at CenterPlace sponsored by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce.
On one hand, the majority of those vying to replace current representatives of the Spokane Valley City Council spoke of an irresponsive jurisdiction misguided in a plan to overhaul the Sprague/Appleway corridor and headed in a course of financial disarray.
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| Candidates for the Spokane Valley City Council gathered at CenterPlace last week to discuss their views and answer questions from residents. The event, sponsored by the Greater Spokane Valley Chamber of Commerce featured (from left to right): Diana Wilhite, Brenda Grassell, Richard Munson, Bob McCaslin, Ian Robertson, Ed Foote, Edward Pace, Dean Grafos, Tom Towey and Gary Schimmels. |
On the other, current members of the city’s governing board spoke of an efficient and forward thinking municipality that has maintained a balanced budget and improved the quality of life for Spokane Valley residents.
While no clear-cut winners emerged at the Oct. 7 event, area voters will have a chance to register their opinions as ballots for the general election are mailed out this week.
Candidates for the Position 2 seat – including Council Member Ian Robertson and challengers Edward Pace, Dean Grafos and Ed Foote – each weighed in on the Sprague/Appleway Revitalization Plan, a blueprint for development along the city’s main thoroughfare that goes into effect this month.
Grafos, who emerged as a vocal opponent of the city during the latest disincorporation campaign this summer, said he would vote to overturn the plan if elected.
“It forces people and businesses to relocate to U-City,” he said.
Pace spoke out for other methods to spur development along the corridor, including tax incentives for businesses. Foote, meanwhile, said Sprague/Appleway would benefit from the addition of light rail, a premise he emphasized throughout the evening.
“If you bring in mass transit, a city center will develop,” Foote said.
Robertson, who served on the city’s planning commission while SARP was being developed, said zoning adjustments were made for certain businesses before the document was approved earlier this year.
“It is flexible,” Robertson said. “The purpose here is to increase the value of property along the corridor. This is for the betterment of our city.”
Grassel, who is facing off against Wilhite, expressed criticism of SARP, calling it an example of “new urbanism.”
“This has failed in other communities where they didn’t have community buy-in,” she said.
Wilhite countered by pointing out that “we have a lot of empty buildings along Sprague” and that discussions regarding SARP included “over 70 meetings.”
“Instead of continuing to deteriorate, Sprague Avenue will flourish,” Wilhite said.
McCaslin, who has served as the 4th District state senator since 1981, said the city should be looking at cutbacks instead of raising property taxes – a decision made by the City Council earlier this month.
“As income goes down, expenditures should go down, and they’re not,” McCaslin said.
Munson made it clear that the tax hike would translate to around 27 cents a month for the average homeowner while the city continues “to provide citizens with the best police protection in the state and the best roads in Spokane County.”
Grassel said she would not have voted for the tax increase and said municipal officials “have to run the city like a business.”
“You can’t ask for expenses paid through taxes,” she said.
Wilhite pointed to the $3 million shortfall in city sales tax over the past year, saying “the city has already cut back on its budget” and will continue to make law enforcement and safe roads a spending priority.
Addressing a theme that re-emerged throughout the night, Pace said the city needs to do a better job streamlining the procedure for building permits and improving flexibility for development.
Robertson, Munson and Wilhite said the city continues to work on increasing the efficiency of the permitting process while Robertson added that City Hall “could do a better job of communicating the good things that are going on in the city.”
Grafos continued his call for “common-sense leadership,” maintaining that citizens “have been marginalized” by the current collection of city leaders.
“We have a lot of work to do in the city of Spokane Valley,” he said. “That’s why I said, ‘No more business as usual at City Hall.’ We should strive to be a business-friendly, job-creating city.”
Munson countered criticism from McCaslin, Grafos and other candidates affiliated with the Positive Change campaign by defending the progress the city has made since 2003.
“We’ve made incorporation work,” he said. “This is all about making Spokane Valley a better place to live.”
Challengers said the city must improve ties to Spokane County through regular meetings and continued collaboration with entities like the sheriff’s office. Munson said the city plans to keep the police contract intact and “will continue to work on communication” with the county.
Towey, a write-in candidate in 2005 who, like Gary Schimmels, will not face a challenger in the general election, encouraged voters throughout the city to mark their ballots, regardless of their political opinion.
“I hope everyone in Spokane Valley votes,” he said. “This election is going to determine your future.”
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By
Craig Howard
